How TheWalrus started their logo design journey

Summary

I need a professionally designed logo for my website. The logo must fit my existing site template, be abstract, simple, incorporate "Walrus Online", be recognizable at small sizes, and look like it was done by a professional who really knows their logos.

Company name

Walrus Online

What inspires you and how do you envision the design for your business?

Desired Color Scheme:
See walrusonline.net

Desired Style:
See full description

Accepted File Formats:
Vector

I tried a contest here last week, but it didn't go well. I'm hoping this second try will give a better result.

I will award $150 guaranteed at the end of 7 days for the best concept. The winner will have to agree to refine the concept based on post contest feedback to make the logo perfect for my site for a payment of an additional $150. If the winning logo cannot be refined (within 7 days) by the winning designer based on my additional feedback and desires and the designer cannot deliver me a final logo, the additional $150 will not be paid and I will hire another designer to finish the winning logo concept.

I will only give feedback to entries that look like they have a potential of winning. I do not expect revisions, but you may do so. I expect you only submit your best concept up and not just spend 5 minutes on a poorly executed design. Only submit your entry if you think it has a good chance of winning. Don't waste my time and yours if you aren't talented and can't execute a good first entry.

Now, on to my requirements:

I'm creating a collection of community websites that will be organized around the Walrus Online main website. These websites are basically message boards for small groups of people related in some way in real life.

I need a "textual" logo for Walrus Online. I have a site mascot called KT Walrus already designed that can be used for inspiration. See some of the pics up on the various site pages and the reference pic at the end of this description.

Also, I had a designer take a stab at a logo which is currently shown in the upper left corner where the "W" in Walrus Online is stylized to look like a Walrus's face and the rest like a Walrus body. I like it, but am hoping for something better from the talented designers here at SitePoint.

I want the logo to contain only the words "Walrus Online" with some sort of stylized logo symbol. One possibility is to stylize the "W" in "Walrus Online" like the logo above. The logo should be simple enough to be clearly recognizable if displayed at a small size (like the current logo). One possibility is to emphasize "Walrus" and make "Online" less prominent since the network of sites include other "Walrus" named sites (like "Walrus Support" or "Walrus Mail"). It would be a plus if the "Online" part were easily replaced with "Support" or "Mail" or "Chat" or some other suffix. This isn't required though since I really want to "brand" Walrus Online and Walrus in particular.

I like the idea of a stylized "W", but I'm open to other concepts like an abstract symbol in front of the words or a symbol that captures the essence of my site mascot. The colors should match my site template colors (probably the orange/red or dark blue/purple), but would be open to several color variations for display over both the yellow/gold color background and the purplish/blue color backgrounds that my site uses. I need the logo in vector format.

Be creative, but keep it simple and clean.

Review the feedback I gave in the contest I just canceled to this entrant: